Journey Through Time
by Desertfox511
Summary: Sylaire AU. Takes place during "Fugitives". Claire was on the run from Danko's agents through the woods when she ran into Sylar. A freak accident sends the unlikely duo on a whirlwind journey through time with no idea how to return to the present.
1. Prologue

Hello everyone! This is a random idea I had at school and I started writing when I wasn't working. This story is AU and since it takes place in different time periods, I don't really have an exact time frame for the time from the point where they get transported back in time to the end of the story when they return to the present. Plus, as an AU, it doesn't follow the exact events of the show. If I had to choose a general time-line though, I'd say it starts sometime around "Fugitives" after Claire's free pass expired. Please and enjoy and give me lots of reviews! Both good and bad are equally welcome since I can use criticism to improve my story. Just don't be too harsh. If you like it then I'll try to update soon. Parts in parenthesis are thoughts. Now, without further ado, I present to you: Journey Through Time!

I DO NOT OWN HEROES (though I wish I did). I only own the plot (I think I do at least) and the OC characters in my story, some Special, some not, and of course, the random civilians.

_Prologue_

Claire was asleep in her bed, the faint rustling of the curtains in the breeze from the open window the only sound in the otherwise silent night. She found herself stirring at a faint disturbance that would be undetectable to anyone but her.

She sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She lit the lamp on the little table beside her bed and looked around. Nothing seemed amiss. (I could have sworn I heard something. It was… never mind. It couldn't be… could it?) She frowned slightly and pulled back her covers. She swung her slender tan legs over the side of her bed, stood up, and smoothed her white nightgown.

She walked into the bathroom and peered into the mirror. She looked terrible. Her golden hair was disheveled and her eyes were red and puffy. She barely recognized the lost and confused girl staring back at her. She turned on the sink and splashed some cold water on her face, then briskly combed her fingers through her hair. She dried her face and hands, and with a sigh, left the bathroom to go back to bed.

As she stepped into her room, she froze. The figure that had haunted her dreams stood silhouetted in her doorway by the pale moonlight. Her dark angel had come for her.

"Sylar." she whispered.

He took a few fluid steps towards her, his fathomless dark eyes glimmering with unknown emotions. "Hello Claire." Sylar purred softly.

Claire took a step back, her blue green eyes widening in disbelief. "You shouldn't be here." she said quietly, looking around nervously.

"Shh, shh, shh, Claire. I am here and that's what matters." he replied in a velvety tone that sent a strange thrill through her. He strode forward and sat on the bed, patting the spot next to him for her to sit beside him.

She hesitated for a moment before complying. As they gazed at each other in silence for a moment, Claire wondered how this had happened. Finally, exhausted, she leaned her head onto Sylar's shoulder, a single crystalline tear leaking from the corner of her eye.

Sylar caught it with a fingertip and examined it for a second before looking back at Claire. "Why are you crying Claire?" he asked, stroking her hair with a warm calloused hand.

"Sylar, I…" Claire began, but then choked up and ended up sobbing silently into his shirt.

Sylar lifted her chin gently so that she was looking up at him. "Claire, you're too beautiful to cry. And please, call me Gabriel." he whispered into her ear.

"Gabriel…" she said, trying out the unfamiliar word. She smiled a bit then, and although slight, it seemed to light up the whole room.

That sounded right.

**To be continued...**

**So, what does everyone think? Tell me your opinions in the reviews. I hope you liked my first chapter, even though it was just a prologue. Like I mentioned above, I'll try to update soon if I get enough requests. The other chapters may be a bit longer, depending on my mood. It's going to be a pretty long story anyway though. **


	2. Accident or Fate?

Author's note: I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter. I hope it's okay, but for some reason it just didn't feel as good as the first chapter. This chapter just shows what led up to their journey through time (see notes at the end for more on this.) Speaking of the prologue, that takes place at the end of the story and the last chapter will take place after those events, wrapping the story up and hopefully making this whole journey worth it. It's going to be pretty emotional I know that much.

_April_ _19, 2009_

Claire ran as fast as she could through the woods, the sounds of angry men and guns being loaded coming from behind her. Danko's agents were closing in fast. She wouldn't let them catch her again.

She ducked into a thick patch of brambles, barely registering that thousands of thorns were lacerating her skin. She spared only a brief glance at the quickly healing wounds as she struggled to get deeper into the brier. This would be as good a place as any to hide. She was so busy looking over her shoulder, waiting for the guards to burst from the trees at any moment and shoot her with tasers and darts, that she didn't notice that she had almost stumbled into the last person on earth she wanted to see.

"Well, well. If it isn't little Claire-bear." Sylar purred, smirking in amusement as he watched Claire attempt to pull herself free from the spiky branches.

"Sylar. What are you doing here?" Claire hissed, loathing evident in every word, her eyes burning with hatred.

Sylar cocked his head to the side a bit, studying her. "I could ask you the same question." he retorted.

Claire gritted her teeth and finally pulled free, standing up straight and meeting his dark gaze unflinchingly. "Oh, I don't know. I just love hanging out in the woods at night with a psychopathic serial killer and a trigger happy bunch of government goons. What do you think I'm doing here?" she snarled, her words laced with heavy sarcasm.

Sylar chuckled. "Oh Claire, you amuse me." he said.

"I'm glad you find me funny." she snapped. "Just get out of my way and let me get the hell out of here." she demanded.

Sylar raised an eyebrow. "Feisty tonight aren't you? Hmmm... no, I don't think I'm going to move. If you want out of here so badly, why don't we go for a little midnight stroll?" he asked, his eyes glinting mischievously.

Claire opened her mouth to give a scathing retort when the sound of a gun being cocked came from behind her. She turned slowly and found herself face to face with the cold steel barrel of Danko's gun. Her eyes darted to Sylar, who had a gun pressed into the back of his head by an agent standing next to Danko, yet seemed completely unbothered by the predicament.

"It must be my lucky day. Two of my top targets conveniently in one place. I am confused as to why the two of you are hanging out together though." Danko commented.

"We aren't hanging out! I just ran into him." Claire growled in irritation. This night couldn't get any worse.

Sylar laughed quietly. "Danko, I'm honored that you came yourself, but I'm afraid I have more important things to attend to." he said calmly. Before anyone could react, he flicked his fingers and sent Danko and his agent flying backward with his telekinesis.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion then. At least it appeared that way to Claire. The two guns that had been aiming at her and Sylar discharged, more agents poured into the clearing, and all hell broke loose. Then there was a blinding flash of shimmering white light and Claire's last thought before she fainted was that it was strangely beautiful. Then, with a final rush of air and sound, the world went black and the silence became absolute.

**To be continued...**

**So, was this an accident or did it happen for a reason? Where will Sylar and Claire end up? These questions and more will be answered as the story unfolds. One final note: other than the prologue, which actually takes place at the end of this story, there probably won't be any Sylaire action for a while. They aren't just going to randomly fall in love at the beginning, but if you keep reading as I add new chapters, then eventually you other fans of the pairing will get what you came for (unless you came for the story itself of course). I hope you like the story so far and Happy Holidays everyone!**


	3. Into the Past

_Time and Location Unknown_

The first thing she became aware of was the stifling heat and humidity. The air was thick with moisture that pressed down on her like a wet blanket. Claire groaned and leaves crunched underneath her as she pushed herself into a sitting position and opened her eyes groggily. She was sure of two things immediately: She was alone at the moment, and she definitely wasn't in the same woods that she had been in before. She looked around in shock, trying to take in her strange surroundings. She was obviously in a jungle or rainforest of some kind, but how had she ended up there? The last thing she remembered was the bright flash of light that had engulfed everything and sent her spiraling into oblivion.

She took a deep breath and tried to think logically. She had to come up with a plan. That's what her dad would do. She stood up slowly and began to observe the area more closely. Lush tropical vegetation, from huge trees that towered over her, to dense green ferns, was everywhere. Insects were buzzing but she noticed that there was a strange absence of bird calls of any kind. That was odd. There were birds on every continent on earth, even Antarctica. Why were there no birds in this tropical jungle? She turned at a rustling sound coming from behind her and sucked in a sharp breath.

Sylar emerged from the trees on the other side of the small clearing, intensely scrutinizing an unusual fruit in his hand. His thick dark hair was damp from the moisture in the air and he had removed his long sleeved black shirt, having slung it over one shoulder. Claire was unable to keep her eyes from roving over the plains of his muscular chest and enticing broad shoulders, his taut abs and his trim frame. (Oh. My. God. I can't believe I just checked out Sylar. What is wrong with me?) Claire shuddered in revulsion at her own thoughts.

Sylar looked up at the sound of Claire's slightly erratic heartbeat. "Ah, Claire. You're finally awake." he commented, grinning his signature crooked grin. He lightly tossed the fruit at her and she caught it, keeping her gaze locked on his, mistrust written in every line of her body. Sylar chuckled quietly. "Well, isn't this an interesting turn of events." he purred.

Claire glared at him and then looked at the fruit warily. Was it even edible? Her stomach rumbled and she figured that even if it was poisonous, she would heal from it and be fine. Cellular Regeneration really came in handy sometimes. She bit into it and was pleased to find that it was sweet and slightly tangy, kind of like a kiwi, although it looked more like a cross between a grapefruit and a mango. She eyed Sylar as she ate and then decided it couldn't hurt to ask what she was thinking. "So... do you know where we are?" she asked in an attempt at casual conversation.

Sylar strolled over to a tree and ran his fingers across the rough bark thoughtfully, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, there was curiosity and a bit of wonder in his dark eyes. "The question isn't where we are... it's when." he replied finally.

Claire frowned in confusion. "What do you mean when? We traveled back in time? How did that happen? There wasn't a time traveler around was there?" she asked.

Sylar shrugged. "I don't know how this happened yet, but yes, we traveled back in time. Way back." he said.

Claire cocked her head to the side in contemplation of his words. They were in a tropical jungle, back in time, apparently really far back. Her eyes widened in mingled fear and shock. "It can't be... we're..." she stuttered.

Sylar smirked. "Welcome to Jurassic Park." he said sarcastically, his eyes glinting in wicked amusement by the light of the prehistoric sun.

**To be continued...**

**Dun... dun... dunnnnn! What will happen next? Keep checking back for new updates to find out! Sorry that my chapters are so short. I focus so much on the content of each chapter, trying to get it just right, that I stop being able to come up with more to write. I have issues with writer's block a lot. Heh heh... (BTW: They're actually in the Cretaceous period. I just couldn't resist quoting one of my favorite movies. :P)**


	4. Dawn of the Dinosaur

Author's note: Sorry it's been over a week since I updated! I've been getting ready for finals and a Christmas play I somehow ended up in. I've been really busy. I'll try not to take so long to update again.

_Cretaceous Era, around 65 million years ago_

"Of all the people I had to get stuck back in time with… Why couldn't it have been Peter?" Claire muttered as she walked through the jungle.

Sylar easily kept pace with her, his expression mingled amusement and frustration. He wasn't complaining about his present company, but he was a bit frustrated that he didn't know yet how this had happened. "That hurts Claire. Are you sure you're not the slightest bit intrigued by our predicament?" he teased.

Claire rolled her eyes. "Not in the way you're thinking. Can we focus on getting back to the present now?" she replied in exasperation. As she said this though, she couldn't help her eyes roving over Sylar's bare torso again. She quickly looked away, her lips pressed together in a tight line.

Sylar caught this and he smirked slightly. Then he sighed. "Fine." he pouted. He spotted something ahead and narrowed his eyes. "Hey Claire, stop for a minute. Look at the ground ahead." he said.

Claire didn't like the idea of following orders from him, but she paused out of curiosity. She walked forward a few paces and bent down to examine the ground more closely. A huge footprint was imprinted into the dirt, a shallow puddle of water resting in the indentation. It was a distinct three-toed print and based on the depth, it had been made by something extremely heavy. "Is this…. a T-Rex footprint?" she asked quietly.

"Yep. This is the Cretaceous period. The age where T-Rex ruled supreme. There's also Velociraptors." Sylar replied lightly.

Claire's eyes widened and she shivered. "Oh great. That's just what we need." she murmured. She eyed the footprint warily as she stood back up. "Well, we should keep moving. If we run into any carnivorous dinosaurs, maybe they'll eat you instead." she said with a faint smirk at that thought. She continued walking with a new spring in her step.

Sylar frowned as he followed her. "That's not very nice. You should be careful Claire. If you make me mad I might not be so willing to protect you should we encounter anything." he warned her matter-of-factly.

"Who said I need protecting? We can both just heal if we get hurt anyway." she retorted, her tone sharper with irritation.

Sylar gave her a long look. "Do you really want to test if your regenerative abilities include being digested?" he asked seriously but with a hint of sarcasm.

Claire shuddered at the image that thought conjured. "No, not particularly. Fine, try to take on a T-Rex for all I care. Maybe you can take its brain as a souvenir." she said mockingly.

Sylar's eyes flashed. "You're pushing it Claire." he growled.

Claire shrugged innocently.

Suddenly, a loud roar rent the air. She had heard the sound in movies and on TV before, but hearing it in real life was a whole different matter. It was unearthly and terrifying, yet awe-inspiring. The earth beneath them shook and trembled with the impact of giant feet. Before either her or Sylar had a chance to react, a massive reptilian head burst from between the trees. By unlucky chance, Claire was closer to it. Claire caught a glimpse of two rows of dripping yellow teeth the length of her arm before jaws of unimaginable strength tossed her high into the air and her limp body fell into the gaping jaws of the hungry T-Rex.

She heard Sylar shouting her name, and she remembered smiling faintly and thinking this was a strange way to die before the teeth snapped shut and she knew no more.

**To be continued…**

**Poor Claire. Obviously she'll be fine, but the way she gets out of this one will be shocking. Well, actually, the events that occur afterward will be the shocking part. Or rather, it'll be dramatic. The next chapter will wrap up their adventure in the Cretaceous period. Also, in case anyone is wondering, no, not everything bad will happen to Claire. You'll just have to be patient to see how their dramatic journey will unfold. I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Like I said above, I'll try to update sooner this time. Bye until next time loyal readers!**


	5. Escape from the Cretaceous Part I

Author's Note: I have two important notes to make before I begin the next part of the story. 1) The final part of their adventure in the Cretaceous Era will actually be in two parts. I had to split it up because I felt like I couldn't say everything that I wanted to say about this part of the story in only one more chapter. This chapter and the next can be considered one big part though, so that's why it says Part I in the chapter title. The next chapter will have the same title but with Part II at the end. That brings me to my second point. 2) This is the first real indication of some Sylaire action since the prologue. However, that being said, it's just a small hint at the feelings to come. If I made it so that Claire was now considering if she had feelings for Sylar beyond what she thinks about in this chapter and Sylar... well, you have to read the chapter, but let's just say if he continued to act like that all the time, then it would be out-of-character, which is the biggest thing I'm trying to avoid. I hope so far I've succeeded in avoiding that, especially with this chapter. My goal was only have a different side of them come out to showcase part of what makes Heroes amazing: its three-dimensional characters. I also wanted to make this part emotionally dramatic. I hope you enjoy it!

Utter darkness. Stale air that wreaked of rotten meat. Warm wetness pressing all around her. This was all Claire was aware of. (I'm being swallowed. After all I've been through... this is how my life ends. Eaten by a dinosaur. *dry chuckle* Who would have thought?) Although there was so much more she had wanted to do, and despite having feelings that will go unsaid, a part of her was relieved. The blessing... and the curse... of her ability, the pain and the suffering, watching her loved ones die... she would be free from it all. She sighed quietly, thinking about how much she would miss her dad, her mom Sandra, Lyle, Mr. Muggles, Peter, and despite all his mistakes and his hand in her recent misery, she would miss Nathan as well. At last, she closed her eyes and resigned herself to her fate.

She should have known it wouldn't be that easy.

A deep roar reverberated through her core as a stream of harsh light slashed through the peaceful darkness. She sucked in a breath of humid but fresh air as she plummeted towards the ground before being caught in a pair of strong arms. The arms of her personal tormentor but also of the man that had now saved her life twice. "You'll be okay now Claire." she heard Sylar whisper, slightly out of breath. The T-Rex that had tried to eat her toppled over and hit the ground with an eerie finality, the earth shuddering from the immense impact.

The events that occurred after that were a blur as she faded in and out of consciousness. Her battered and broken body had already healed itself as Sylar carried her swiftly through the jungle, but her mind was reluctant to do the same. A part of her didn't want to wake up.

At some point it began to rain in a torrential downpour. And still Sylar held her, the steady beat of his heart somehow comforting as she struggled with the decision to let herself go, although her body could never die, or to return to her dreary reality.

Then the Velociraptors came. She heard their bird-like shrieks tearing through the now darkening sky and the rapid footfalls of pursuit. Arcs of electricity crackled through the air as Sylar fended them off. (Even he must be getting tired by now...) she thought as she heard his heavy breathing.

And yet, Sylar wasn't going to put Claire down to rest until he found a place that was safe. He knew neither of them could get hurt but that's not why he was shielding her small body from the rain and all other obstacles in their path. She deserved this small solace, something to ease her troubles even by a bit. It was a small comfort, but it was all he had to give.

Claire listened to their heartbeats, both eternal, but so different. His was as regular as the ticking of the clocks he used to fix, never wavering, always calm. Hers fluttered in her chest like a trapped butterfly, subject to change at the slightest provocations. How could two hearts so different now beat in harmony?

At last, Sylar found a place to rest. With a soft sigh he knelt down and layed Claire on a bed of moss that had miraculously escaped the monsoon. "I know you're alright Claire, but if you need time to come back then that's okay. I'll be here waiting, however long it takes." he told her, gently stroking her wet hair off of her face.

Maybe her life was still worth living after all.

**To be continued...**

**Okay, so I had all these feelings about this chapter that I was going to discuss here, but then I decided to just let you readers, as the reviewers, tell me what you think. I feel that either I succeeded in conveying emotional drama in this chapter and that different sides of both characters were shown in a well written way or that this was completely OOC. I'm honestly not sure which one I think. I also hope that Claire's internal struggle didn't seem too weird. It's hard to explain what I was thinking there so I hope you guys understand where I was going with this. ****Like I mentioned above, this is the first indication since the prologue of Sylaire action. I wanted to have a subtle reference to the potential feelings that will develop but I hope that putting that in already didn't make the story feel too rushed. ****Let me know what you guys think. I hope you enjoyed it anyway!**


	6. Escape from the Cretaceous Part II

Author's note: Alright, no more self doubt! I will write this story with confidence now. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! You have no idea how much it means to me.

Sometime during the night it had finally stopped raining. Claire was ready to keep going. Although her life sucked at times, that was no reason to give up. She was tough and she was better than that. She blinked open her eyes and sat up with a slight groan. She looked around in shock. So she hadn't been dreaming.

Harsh afternoon sunlight slanted through the trees and it appeared she was in a boulder strewn clearing. The ground was covered in lush green moss, with a river meandering lazily across it, cutting the clearing in two. Sylar was fast asleep, sitting propped against a large boulder, snoring quietly. He had cleaned himself off in the river and had put his shirt back on before falling asleep. He had really run with her all night.

(He looks so... peaceful... in sleep. Innocent.) Claire shook her head to clear these thoughts. She couldn't forget who she was talking about here. Still... she couldn't help but smile in his direction, grateful for what he had done for her. She sighed and decided to wash as well.

Eying Sylar for a moment, she found cover behind some boulders and began stripping off her clothes. She washed as much of the caked blood, dirt, and saliva off as possible and then washed herself clean. The water was pleasantly cool and felt nice in the hot and humid air. She washed her hair as best she could, considering she had no shampoo, and combed her fingers through her golden locks. When she was done, she put her damp clothes back on and walked out from behind the rocks.

Sylar stirred and slowly opened his eyes. He grinned at the sight of Claire. "I'm glad to see you're awake Claire." he purred, still a bit sleepy.

Claire met his dark eyes for a second and then looked away, keeping her expression carefully devoid of emotion. "Last night doesn't change anything between us Sylar." she informed him

Sylar chuckled. "Of course it doesn't." he replied calmly. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and got to his feet. "Regardless, we have to stick together Claire if we want to get back to the present." he said.

Claire looked reluctant but she nodded. "You're right..." she mumbled.

"Aren't I always?" Sylar teased.

Claire rolled her eyes and turned her back on him with a huff. "What now?" she asked.

Sylar thought for a minute. "Well, we got transported back to this time when we were about to be shot. Maybe whatever or whoever is doing this uses near death situations as the trigger. Well, not near death for us, but you get my point. It's only happened once though so I can't be sure." he replied.

"That's true. It's a start I guess. I almost got eaten by a T-Rex though. Normally, that wouldn't just be a near death experience. A normal person would be dead. Nothing happened." Claire pointed out.

Sylar cocked his to the side in contemplation. "Perhaps it has to be "near death" for both of us." he said.

"Hmm... that's possible. So should we both try to be eaten by a T-Rex?" Claire asked, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

Sylar opened his mouth to retort when his attention was suddenly drawn to the sky. He narrowed his eyes and watched a flock of Pterosaurs flying in all directions, but from a single point. They were panicked. A herd of Triceratops stampeded past them. Claire stumbled back in alarm. Sylar focused on the point where the Pterosaurs had scattered from, trying to make sense of what he was seeing there. His eyes widened. "I think we found our trigger." he said in wonder.

Claire followed his gaze and frowned. There was a bright orange point in the sky that seemed to be growing larger. It looked almost like a second sun. She sucked in a sharp breath as the realization hit her. "Is that a meteor?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Yes it is. So I guess the meteor causing the dinosaur mass extinction theory was the right one. This must be the day of the K-T extinction, one of the largest mass extinctions in Earth's history. Hmm... that would explain why it's been getting so hot here." Sylar replied lightly.

Together they watched as the massive meteor descended and crashed into the earth. Claire covered her ears but couldn't shield out the noise. The explosion was like nothing she had ever seen. It was both awe-inspiring and the most terrifying thing she had ever seen, and she had seen some horrifying things. As the world around them was blasted apart and all consuming fire raged towards them, there was another blinding flash of bright white light and they were gone.

**To be continued...**

**Dramatic ending huh? That's not to say that it'll always take a near death disaster to send them to the next time period. I'll change it up sometimes depending on where they are and their situation. So, where are they heading next? Keep reading my updates to find out!**


	7. The Village in the Desert

Author's Note: I am so sorry that it's been so long since I've updated. This holiday season has been really hectic for me. I'll try to update sooner but I'm going to need reviews to encourage me. :) This is kind of a bridge chapter and nothing big really happens, but it's important to setting up for future chapters. Also, for the sake of easier writing, I'm ignoring the language barriers. Finally, this chapter is really short because I didn't want to reveal too much yet. I hope you like it anyway! By the way, the time and location will be "unknown" in the first chapter of each new time period they go to, even though some, like this one, isn't kept a mystery like the Cretaceous era was at first.

_Time and Location Unknown_

Wind whipped her hair into her face as she squinted into the bright sunlight. Claire found herself surrounded by an ocean of sand. It was hot here too. She hoped they would end up somewhere a bit colder soon.

With Sylar strolling companionably by her side, she walked through the desert, wind and sand tearing at her clothes and exposed skin. Eventually the duo stumbled on an amazing sight: a small ancient village or town of sorts nestled in a fertile oasis on the shore of a majestic river. "Wow. We're in Ancient Egypt." she said in awe, recognizing the Nile River and the valley from her geography textbook.

"It appears that way." Sylar replied, looking simply curious, but maybe also a bit excited. He had always enjoyed reading books about Egypt as a kid.

"So what now? This time period has people in it. Wouldn't we risk altering history if we go into that town?" she asked, biting her bottom lip in worry.

Sylar shrugged. "It's possible I guess but we can't just stand her doing nothing. We need to get some food and water." he pointed out.

Claire's stomach chose to growl hungrily at that moment. She sighed. "Alright, but we have to be careful and stay on our guards. We shouldn't talk to anyone beyond when it's necessary." she said after a moment.

When had she become comfortable with having Sylar as her traveling companion?

As they approached the village, Sylar studied Claire, a mixture of amusement and some unreadable emotion in his eyes. Despite her claims back in the Cretaceous jungle, it seemed to him that an almost imperceptible change had occurred between them. It was a small change, but even that was progress. It was a start at least.

Claire paused at the edge of the shallow valley, hesitant to continue. But her throat was parched, and although she knew that neither she nor Sylar could die from dehydration or starvation, she wasn't keen on being stranded in the desert without sustenance. A roof over her head couldn't hurt either. With those thoughts in mind, she carefully made her way down the slope of slippery sand to what seemed to be the entrance of the town, marked by two towering obelisks on either side of a winding rock strewn path of packed earth.

The two of them walked along side by side as curious commoners looked up from their labors or peeked out from their small stone huts to see who their visitors were. There were gasps of surprise and quiet murmuring from the onlookers.

Claire was just wondering about how strange a sight the two of them must be and if this had been a bad idea, when one man shouted, "They have appeared before us! Our prayers have been answered!"

**To be continued...**

**So what did everyone** **think about the first chapter of their Egypt adventure? I've always loved this time period so I couldn't resist sending them there. What surprises are in store for our favorite duo? What does that peasant man at the end mean? Stay tuned to find out! Until next time and don't forget to review!**


	8. Mistaken Identity

Author's note: Sorry for once again taking so long to update. I've been pretty busy and I just started school again which has been crazy. Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it and please review!

_Nile Delta, New Kingdom, Ancient Egypt, 1540 B.C.  
><em>

_"They have appeared before us!_ _Our prayers have been answered!"_

Claire watched in confusion as the villagers all gathered around, bowing their heads and then scurrying back, or kneeling on the ground in front of her and Sylar, looking up reverently. A few women carried woven baskets full of freshly grown figs, olives, and wheat over to them. They also knelt and held the baskets above their heads. Not sure why they were doing this but not wanting to seem rude, she accepted the basket with a polite thank you and discreetly elbowed Sylar to do the same. He looked at the food for a moment and then accepted, his only thanks being a curt nod. Claire frowned at him but didn't say anything.

The villagers continued to whisper among themselves as some returned to what they had been doing, while others were trying to catch glimpses of them through the crowd of closely packed bodies. She picked up a few words of their conversations, such as "gods", "Set", and "healing". "Umm... why are they looking at us like we're some kind of miracle that's appeared before them?" Claire asked Sylar quietly.

Sylar was basking in the attention and seemed to be enjoying himself quite thoroughly as he chewed thoughtfully on a fig.

Claire rolled her eyes. "Like your ego wasn't big enough before..." she muttered.

Sylar shot her a stern look but chose not to comment. "I don't know Claire, but considering their culture and how they're acting... I'd say they think we're two of their gods that have appeared before them in an earthly form. It probably isn't something that happens often and so they're a little excited that it is now. Or so they think. Personally, I say let them think what they want about us." he replied.

"Of course you would say that. You're just loving being thought of as a god." she said, shaking her head in exasperation. Sylar only smirked slightly in response to that statement. Claire sighed. "We can't tell them who we really are, because they would never believe us and who knows what that could do to the time line. So, stop inflating your ego and let's just figure out what they want from us. The sooner we do that, the sooner we can get out of here." she muttered.

She walked forward and approached a woman who was planting seeds in the ground. The woman looked up and her eyes widened. "Mother Nephthys!" she exclaimed. Her eyes flickered to Sylar and then back to Claire. "And Lord Set! What do you require of me?" she asked, sounding excited but a bit nervous. Claire was slightly taken aback but she quickly covered her moment of shock and smiled serenely at the woman. "Your village has summoned us and we have come. What troubles do you have that require our divine assistance?" she asked, playing along but inside feeling uncomfortable.

The woman was silent for a moment as she carefully thought about her answer. "We have a sick child here that we have not been able to cure. She... is special. Our village humbly requests the aid of our gods for protection and healing of this child." she explained, not meeting their eyes.

Claire nodded slowly. "We shall see what we can do." she said gently. The woman smiled brightly, obviously pleased.

Sylar took Claire by the arm and pulled her out of earshot. An amused smile was playing on his lips and his eyes glimmered with the irony of this situation, as well as something darker. "Claire, they believe I'm Set, the Egyptian god of chaos and darkness." he began, chuckling at that. "If only they knew just how appropriate that is. But what's even more amusing is that they believe you are Nephthys, the nurturing mother goddess, the healer... and my sister, as well as my wife." he said with a smug grin.

Claire's eyes widened. "What? They think we're related? And married?" she hissed.

Sylar was enjoying this very much. "Yes, they had a very different idea of "marriage" back then, especially the union between their gods. Oh, irony can be cruel can't it Claire?" he purred.

Claire fumed silently for a moment, refusing to even look at him. The two of them... married? She shuddered. Then she finally huffed and glanced back at him. "I guess we should see what we can do for this girl. If she's sick... I don't mind trying to help her. Did you catch what that woman said? She said this girl was "special". Do you think... she has an ability?" she asked.

Sylar gave her a faintly contemptuous look. "Of course I caught that Claire and she may very well have a power. It'll be interesting to see to say the least." he replied softly.

Claire looked at him suspiciously. She had recognized the dark glint of the Hunger lingering in his eyes. "Don't even think about trying to take her ability if she has one. She's a kid and I won't let you hurt any of these people here." she growled warningly.

"I won't Claire. I just want to see what she can do. I'm curious to see it because then that means these abilities go as far back as the first recognized human civilization. Aren't you the least bit intrigued by that prospect?" he asked.

Claire narrowed her eyes at him and then shrugged. "Maybe. Now let's get moving." she replied firmly. She turned and after questioning a few eager villagers, she and Sylar were led into a small stone hut. The inside only consisted of three straw mats and a stone slab with a jar of water and a bowl of rice on it. On the mat in the corner lay a small Egyptian girl only about seven or eight years old. She was shivering and a faint sheen of sweat shone on her beautiful dark tan skin. Sylar remained at the entrance, taking in the scene with an unreadable expression, saying nothing but simply observing. Claire walked forward to kneel beside the girl's worried parents. Her mother was wiping her forehead with a wet piece of cloth. Tears were rolling down her cheeks and her husband had his arm around her shoulders comfortingly and was murmuring something to her quietly that Claire couldn't catch. She looked at them sympathetically. "I will do my best to heal your daughter." she told them soothingly. They both looked at her and nodded slowly.

Claire looked down at the ailing girl. She felt her forehead and bit her bottom lip as she felt how feverish she was. She would die soon if she didn't do something. She knew that to heal her she would have to give her her blood. But how to do it without anyone growing suspicious? She didn't know how their goddess Nephthys was believed to heal the sick. Did she just touch them and they were healed? If so, she had a problem. Her power was cellular regeneration, not actual healing. Without a transfusion of her blood, she couldn't do anything for this girl.

Sylar noticed Claire's uncertainty. "Give Sister Nepthys her space. I will watch over her and your child while she is healed." he said calmly and firmly to the parents. They looked at him with wide eyes full of concern for their child, respect of the both of them whom they believed were gods, and also slight fear of "Set". They finally bowed their heads and then left the hut, leaving Sylar and Claire alone with the girl.

"Thanks." Claire said gratefully.

Sylar inclined his head slightly. "Anything for you Claire." he replied.

Claire smiled faintly and then took a deep breath. Now to the task at hand. "Can you make a small cut on my arm and hers?" Claire whispered so that the parents couldn't hear even if they were listening outside the hut. She knew Sylar would hear her though. He nodded and raised his hand, carefully slicing a shallow gash into Claire's arm telekinetically, then did the same for the sick child.

Before the wound could heal, Claire quickly pressed her cut to the girl's, hoping some of the blood dripped into her arm. She pulled her arm back, the cut healing in seconds. She watched the girl carefully. Nothing seemed to happen for a few moments, but then slowly but surely, the cut on the girl's arm healed as well. Claire held her breath as the young girl blinked open her eyes, which unlike the dark eyes of most Egyptians, were a stunning cerulean blue. She gazed up at Claire and then her eyes flickered over to Sylar briefly before returning to lock gazes with Claire.

Claire blinked at how bright and piercing her eyes were. "What's your name sweetie?" she asked.

"Kasara. So, you guys came after all... you're Special like me aren't you?" she asked, her voice steady and strong despite her brush with death. Her eyes gleamed knowingly as she looked at the two of them.

"We are." she replied. (Does she know who we really are? How can she?) Claire wondered to herself.

Kasara smiled a small, sad smile. "Yes, I know who you are and I've been waiting to meet you." she said.

**To be continued...**

**Wow, this chapter is so long compared to my others! Consider it my gift for taking so long to update. What will happen next? Who is this mysterious child Kasara? How does she know about Claire and Sylar? What ability does she possess? To find out you'll have to read my next update, which I'll try to post as soon as possible. I hope you liked reading this and don't forget my reviews! I have the Hunger when it comes to those heh heh... :P**


	9. Kasara's Gifts

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter! It might not be as long as the last one but I hope it's as good. I was excited about this one. Sorry once again for taking so long to update. Life has a nasty habit of getting in the way.

_Nile Delta, New Kingdom, Ancient Egypt, 1540 B.C._

"Why have you been waiting to meet us?" Claire asked Kasara in confusion.

"Yes, and how exactly did you know you would be meeting us at all?" Sylar added in slight suspicion.

Kasara grinned, looking at them with innocent blue eyes. "I have a friend who told me about the two of you and that I would have the opportunity to meet you myself soon. I asked him what the reason for your journey was but he only said, "When the time is right, you will all know." He never gives me a straight answer to anything." she replied, pouting for a second. Then she cocked her head to the side. "I got curious, so I used my ability to... influence... your path a bit." she explained.

"What's your ability?" Sylar asked curiously.

"Well, technically speaking, I can manipulate probability. What the limits of my ability are and how I was able to transcend the boundaries of time to affect the two of you is a mystery to me." she replied, shrugging. She looked at Sylar with an amused glimmer in her vivid eyes. "You're good at figuring out how these things work, so perhaps if you discover the answer to those questions you can let me know." she said with a light chuckle.

Sylar sighed. (What a weird kid.)

"Can you tell us more about this friend of yours?" Claire asked.

Kasara thought for a moment. "Hmm... alright. I can't tell you much though. Like I said, he never gives me any straight answers. Besides, it wouldn't be fun to tell you everything now. This is what I can say at the moment. Like your friend Hiro Nakamura, he's a time traveler. He's... different... though. Whether he has anything to do with this journey through time of yours is something you'll have to ask him yourself when you encounter him. I'm sure you'll meet eventually. One last thing... be patient when talking to him. He likes his air of mystery and riddles are a particular fascination of his." she warned with a mischievous smile.

Claire rolled her eyes while Sylar grumbled "Oh joy."

Claire sat down on the bed next to Kasara. "Kasara, do you think you might be able to influence where we end up the next time we time travel? Send us back to our present?" she asked hopefully.

Kasara frowned slightly as she contemplated that and then shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can. I'm not even sure how I did it the first time." she replied finally.

Claire sighed in resignation. "That's alright. I guess we'll just have to take this one era at a time until we get home." she murmered.

Kasara nodded. "I guess so. But, speaking of the present, I have a gift for each of you. Perhaps they will help on your journey." she told her brightly. She reached under her pillow and pulled out a small brown leather journal with pages made of yellowed parchment paper. Gold hieroglyphs were etched onto the front cover. Kasara handed it to Claire, along with a quill made with a beautiful large fiery orange feather.

Claire blinked and took the journal and the quill from her. She ran a finger lightly across the hieroglyphs. "What do these mean?" she asked.

Kasara's eyes twinkled. "They mean "heart's mirror". Maybe if you record your journey and the feelings within you in writing, you'll come to discover things you never knew about yourself. You'll finally know what lies in your heart. The quill is a very special gift from my time traveling friend. I'm giving it to you because you'll need something to write with and he told me it brings the user good luck. I'm sure you could use it." she informed her.

Claire sat there quietly, stunned. "Thank you." she said after a moment, not sure what else to say.

Kasara winked at her and then turned to Sylar, getting to her feet. She stretched out her sore muscles and then walked closer to him, putting a tiny hand on his, for she couldn't reach much higher. "Between you and me, I believe that not all hope is lost between the two of you. Be patient and show her you can be trusted. Who knows? Perhaps one day she'll be able to put aside your differences and come to accept your feelings, as well as her own." she whispered conspiratorially, quiet enough that Claire couldn't overhear. "Now for my gift." she said. She deftly placed a small object in Sylar's hand.

He examined it for a few seconds, his lips twitching into the ghost of a smile. "How interesting." was all he said.

"I think it represents the two of you quite well. Give that to Claire when the time is right. It has the potential to symbolize more than it does now, if you wait until then." she said.

Sylar nodded curtly and tucked the gift into his pocket.

Kasara looked between the two of them. "Well, I believe it's about time for the two of you to be off. I wish your time in Egypt could be longer but it seems like that isn't written in the stars." she said, sounding a bit sad.

Claire stood. "You know that we're about to be taken to the next time? What about your village? What will they think if we just disappear? Will you be okay?" she asked worriedly.

Kasara smiled softly. "Yes, I can sense it. I'm fine now thanks to you. As for my village, I'm sure they'll understand. One can't expect the gods to stay in one place for too long." she replied.

Claire laughed at that. "Alright, well take care of yourself Kasara."

"I will. Oh, and Claire? Be sure to write me letters about your journey okay? I want to be kept updated on your progress. Once you meet up with my friend he can deliver your messages. Maybe I can even help out from time to time." she said, chuckling quietly at her own joke.

Claire grinned. "Okay I will. By the way, your very mature for your age. I just wanted to let you know I respect that." she told her.

Kasara looked amused. "Hardship and responsibility will do that to you, as I know your aware. Good luck to both of you. I wish you the best on your travels. Who knows? Maybe we'll see each other again." she said, waving goodbye.

The two companions each raised a hand in farewell before another flash of light sent them off to who knows when.

**To be continued...**

**So, what did everyone think? I'm sorry if Kasara's power was a disappointment and/or didn't seem to fit, but I have plans for her and her power. They might not have seen the last of her, like she suggested. Hopefully, the role she and her power plays in the story will make more sense as time goes on (no pun intended). I enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope you liked it. Please review! :)**


	10. Jealousy

**Author's Note: I'm back everyone! Sorry for the wait! I'm inspired again and ready to continuing writing my story. Keep sending me reviews and enjoy! :)**

_Pompeii, Italy, August 22, 79 AD, 2 days before the eruption  
><em>

__Claire and Sylar were strolling down the ancient cobbled streets of the forgotten city of Pompeii, gazing around in wonder. It was the height of the Roman Empire and the town was flourishing. (How could things have gone so horribly wrong?) Claire thought as she watched the citizens bustling about, completely unaware of the disaster looming over their town in the form of the huge volcano that towered behind it in the distance. Claire looked at Mt. Vesuvius warily, but all seemed calm. Maybe the eruption wouldn't happen for a while. She could never tell what day it was anymore since the time period kept changing on them.

Claire was examining the journal that Kasara had given her. She flipped through the blank pages and gently picked up the orange feather quill she kept tucked inside them. If she was going to write in the journal she would have to find some ink or something to write with. Pens wouldn't be invented for a long time. She looked around at all the small shops lining the streets, searching for one that might have what she was looking for.

Sylar was talking to the civilians, eager to learn everything he could about this legendary place that was surrounded by so much speculation and mystery. The townspeople gave him and Claire curious looks, wondering where they might have come from, but they seemed happy to answer his many questions. Of course, he had to be careful not to make them suspicious to the fact that he and Claire were from the future. That wouldn't turn out too well.

Claire shook her head with a light chuckle at the sight. He was acting like an excited kid on a field trip, trying to take everything in and peppering the locals with endless questions to satisfy his insatiable curiosity. At least he was behaving himself for now. She bit her lip, debating for a moment, and decided that it would be safe to leave Sylar to his own devices for a few minutes. She would keep a close eye on him in case he decided to cause trouble.

Her attention was suddenly drawn to a teenage boy not much younger than her, about seventeen if she had to guess, walking out of a shop, carrying a clay bowl with some dark liquid inside. He was average height for his age, slender, with slightly disheveled black hair and lightly tanned skin. He wore a beige tunic and brown cotton pants that went down to mid-calf. He also had on an apron smeared with black smudges. Were they ink smudges? Curiously she approached the boy and as she got closer saw that he was actually quite handsome. He had silvery gray eyes framed by long sooty lashes and when he noticed her, he smiled at her shyly. "Hi. My name is Claire." she greeted him.

The boy gazed at her for a moment, uncertainty in his eyes and then he quietly said, "Nitesh."

"Hi Nitesh. Is that ink you have in that bowl?" she asked.

Nitesh looked at her curiously. "Yes. Making ink is a hobby of mine." he told her with a small shrug.

Claire cocked her head to the side. She smiled. "Really? That's interesting. Are you selling it?" she asked hopefully.

"Come inside with me. I can make you some for free." he replied.

Claire's eyes widened. (Wow, that's generous of him.) She followed him inside the small shop. He told her that he lived in the small house behind the shop with his older brother. She watched in fascination as pulled jars of ingredients off a shelf, placed them on a small table, added pinches of the dried herbs into a small bowl, ground them with a pestle, and mixed them together. Soon he had produced a fresh batch of ink, which he poured into a clay jar, put a stopper in it, and handed it to Claire. "Wow. Thank you for this!" she exclaimed. She looked at him for a moment and felt a bit of heat rising in her cheeks. He nodded to her but then looked away with a sad sigh. He began to clean up and Claire watched him, frowning slightly. He didn't seem very happy. She wondered what was wrong.

Before she could ponder these thoughts any further, Sylar came walking into the room. "There you are Claire. Why did you just wander off without telling me?" he demanded.

Claire rolled her eyes. "I don't need a babysitter Sylar. You seemed to be enjoying talking to the townspeople so I decided to leave you to it. I needed to find some ink so I could write in my journal." she replied.

Sylar was about to say something when he spotted Nitesh. "Who is he Claire?" he growled, narrowing his eyes slightly as he took in Claire's faintly flushed cheeks.

"His name is Nitesh. He makes the ink that he sells. It's pretty amazing." she replied, then blushed and looked down at the ground as she realized how she sounded right now.

Sylar looked rather annoyed and Nitesh was watching him a bit nervously. "I have to go talk to my brother about something." he said after a moment, and quickly left the room and headed into the house area behind him.

Sylar watched him go with a cold, calculating expression and then turned his attention back to Claire. He stalked towards her. "Oh Claire. I'm disappointed in you. You have a crush on that boy don't you?" he asked in a low voice.

Claire looked at Sylar warily. Was he jealous? Yep, he most definitely was. She smirked. "Awww, it looks like someone's jealous." she said in amusement.

Sylar gave her a look that could kill. It wouldn't surprise her if it actually could on anyone but her. "I'm warning you Claire. Watch what you say, or you'll have to find your way back on your own." he hissed.

Claire huffed. She folded her arms across her chest and gave him a "You wouldn't dare." expression. "Look, just relax. I just met that boy and it isn't any of your business whether I have a crush on him or not, which I don't. I'm just curious about him. He seems sad and I want to know what's wrong. If you have a problem with that, then go somewhere else!" she spat. She turned her back on him and just glared at the floor.

Sylar twitched his fingers, tempted to vent his irritation, but he just turned and stalked out of the shop. Claire could crush on this boy all she wanted, because soon enough they would be leaving this time period and she would never see him again. He grinned wickedly at that thought.

He suddenly tensed. A Special was near. He had tried to reign in his Hunger all this time for Claire's sake, but it wasn't going to allow itself to be denied any longer. He searched around for the source and he finally located it. His eyes flashed and he smirked. Nitesh had just walked out from his house, smiling softly, probably thinking about Claire. The amount of power radiating from him was incredible. Sylar took a deep breath. Oh how he would enjoy taking it all for himself. Claire would be furious, but he couldn't help that. He would make it up to her later. He had to feed or he would go crazy. Well, crazier anyway.

He walked silently towards his intended prey.

The hunt was on.

**To be continued...**

**Yay for cliffhangers! What will happen next? Does Claire really have feelings for this boy? Will she realize she might have feelings for Sylar as well soon? What is Nitesh's power? Just a hint: it may seem familiar, but it isn't exactly what it seems. I like to keep things fresh. His name is strange but it means "heartbeat of the earth". ****I thought that was cool and it's appropriate. This chapter was weird to me. I don't know how I feel about it. Did you guys like it? Not my best, but I hope it was okay anyway. Things will start to get more interesting in the next few chapters. I have plenty of twists and turns, drama, excitement, and a little romance still to come so please keep reading if you like my story so far. It'll only get better from here. :)**


End file.
